Spring-brake and upgrade propeller



(No Model.)

P. SELLEG.

SPRING BRAKE AND UA1-GRADE PROPBLLER.

Patented June 22,18.97

Ninn rares artnr Prien.

PETER SELLEG, OF VALLEY, W'ASIIINGTON.

SPRINGBR/KE AND UPGRADE PROPELLER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 584,796, dated June 22,1897.

' Application filed December 9, 1895. Serial No` 571,559. (No model.)

To all whom 7125 may concern:

Be it known that I, PETER SELLEG, a citizen of the United States,residing at Valley, in the county of Stevens and State of Washington,have invented a new and useful Spring- Brake and Upgrade Propeller, ofwhich the following is a specification.

The object of this invention is to provide improved means for storingthe power generated by a bicycle in descending a grade and utilizing thesaid power so stored in assisting the bicycle in ascending a successivegrade or in advancing over an approximately level surface after thedescent of the grade is consummated.

My invention consists in the construction, arrangement, and combinationof elements hereinafter set fortli,pointed out in my claims, andillustrated by the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is anelevation, partly in section, longitudinally of the crank-shaft of abicycle, showing my attachment secured thereto and operating thereon.Fig. 2 is an elevation illustrating portions of my device mounted upon abicycle. Fig. 3 is a perspective of a sleeve and a portion of a springattached thereto. Fig. 4 is a perspective illustrating the means wherebyin the rotation of a keyrod a dog is released from the cylinder shown inFig. 3 and a clutch is caused to engage said cylinder. Fig. 5 is anelevation illustrating the means of attaching the key-rods to thebicycle-frame. Fig. 6 is a perspective illustrating the rear face of oneportion of the device shown in Fig. e. Fig. 7 is an end elevationillustrating a clutch feathered to the crank-shaft, the shaft beingshown in section. Fig. 8 is an elevation illustrating a portion of oneof the forks, a pawl,and a spring Whereby said pawl is held downwardlyand in engagement with a revolving element. (Not shown.)

In the construction of the device, as shown, d designates a crank-axlemounted for rotation in bearings j j, which bearings are rigidlyconnected to the lower end portion of a fork C. The fork C forms thecentral portion or post of the bicycle, and the lower bar, inclinedupwardly and forwardly of the frame of the bicycle, may also be forked,as shown in Fig. 2, and rigidly attached to the. bearingboXesjj. Thecrank-shaft d is provided with oppositely 'extended cranks on each end,which cranks are to be employed with pedals on their outer ends, as iscommon in the construction and operation of bicycles. The crank-shaft CZalso is provided with a sprocketwheel adjacent to one of the cranks, asis common in the construction of bicycles.

A sleeve D is mounted loosely on the central portion of the crank-shaftd and is of a diameter greater than the diameter of said crank-shaftabout one-eighth of a linear inch. A clutch member is formed on one endof the sleeve D, as clearly shown in Fig. 3, and is designated as 10. Aperipheral iiange 11 is formed on the cylinder D outside of andconcentric with the clutch member 10, and a series of notches ordetent-seats 12 are formed in the periphery of said flange at equaldistances of separation.

A slotted plate 13 is mounted on one of the bearing-boxes j, adjacent toone arm of the fork C, and a dog or detent a is pivoted on said plateand engages .in one or another of the detent-seats 12 in the flange 11.Akeyrod 0 extends through the space between the slotted plate 13, whichplate is arched, and the bearing-bong', and has a gear-wheel f, rigidlymounted thereon and engaging with the bars formed by slotting the saidplate 13. The engagement of the gear-wheel f with the slotted plate 13retains the key-rod o against ascent, and the upper end portion of saidkeyrod is retained against lateral movement by a strap p, fixed to thetop bar 1a of the bicycle-frame, which strap',` as also a strap (notshown) that holds the key-rod m to the bar 14, engages frictionally withand prevents accidental rotation of the respective key-rods. The lowerend portion of the key-rod o is provided With a laterally-extending armg. A clutch member b is feathered to the crankshaft d and provided witha grooved periphery arranged and so shaped as to receive the lowerextremity of the key-rod o. Now in the rotation of the key-rod o thegear-wheel f will engage with the slotted plate 13and cause the lowerend portion of said key-rod to move laterally coincident withitsrotation, thus bringing the clutch member b into contact with thevclutch member 10 and at the same time causing the arm g to travelbeneath and ICO elevate the detent d out of engagement with the flange11. Mounted loosely on the sleeve D is an annular spring-box l5, and anannular ratchet-plate q is mounted on one side of said spring-boxconcentric with the axis of the crank-shaft and is engaged and heldagainst reverse ro tation by a spring-pawl n, mounted on one arm of thefork C and held down by a spiral spring, as shown in Fig. 8. A clutchmember is formed on the end portion of the hub of the spring-boxopposite to the clutch member 10 on the sleeve D, and a clutch member Zis feathered to the crank-shaft CZ and arranged to engage at times withthe said clutch member on the hub of the spring-box B. A slotted plate15 is located on the bearingboXj, adjacent to the clutch member Z. Theclutch member Z is provided with a periphery arranged and shaped toreceive the lower end of a key-rod m, and said key-rod is mounted in theslotted plate 15 and provided with a gear-Wheel 16, corresponding withthe gearwheel f, heretofore described, and is held in contact with thetop bar of the bicycle-frame in the same manner as the key-rod 0, but onthe opposite side of the top bar therefrom. The key-rod m is notprovided with a laterally-extendin g arm, as is the key-rod o. Ou tsideof and concentric with the hub of the spring-box B isa hanger 7c, boredconcentrically with the axis of the crank-shaft CZ and lined in its borewith a boxing r, and within said hanger the spring-box may be rotated,limited in its rotation only by the resistance afforded by the pawl n. Aspring A is mounted Within the spring-box B, wound convolutely therein,and fixed at one end to the sleeve D, the opposite end of said springbeing fixed to the inner face of the peripheral portion of thespring-box B.

In practical use and operation when the wheel is descending a grade thekey-rod m is rotated by the operator, its gear-wheel engaging with itsslotted plate and causing the lower end of said rod to move laterallycoincident with its rotation and in so moving bring the clutch member Zinto contact with the clutch member on the end of the hub of thespring-box B, thereby communicating the movement and motion and rotationof the crank-shaf t CZ to the spring-box B. The springbox is revolvedand the sleeve D is held against revolution by t-he engagement of thepawl a, which pawl, it will be remembered, is rigidly mounted on theslotted plate 13, thus wind-in g up the spring upon the sleeve D. Vhenthe spring is fully wound or the descent of the grade is completed andit is desired to employ the power stored in the said spring to assist inadvancing the machine either on an approximately level surface or on anascending plane, the key-rod m is reversely rotated by the operator,thereby moving the clutch member Z out of engagement with the clutchinember on the hub of the spring-box. The keyrod o is rotated by theoperator to move the clutch member b into contact with the clutch member10 and to release by engagement of the arm g the pawl a, at which timethe spring A expands and the spring-box is held against the reverserotation bythe engagement of the pawl m. Therefore the power stored inthe spring will be exerted to revolve the sleeve D, and since saidsleeve is connected for rotation with the crank-shaft CZ through themedium of the clutch members it will assist the said shaft to rotate.

The lower end portions of the key-rods are quite loosely mounted in thegrooved peripheries of the clutch members Z2 Z, and since thecrank-shaft is mounted in bearings independent of the remainder of thedevice and has a great form of movement relative to the sleeve it isapparent that when the key-rods are so moved as to release all theclutch members from engagement the machine may be propelled byfoot-power with a very minimum degree of friction, or, in other words,with very little, if any, friction on account of or traceable to thespring bolter mechanism.

I claim as my invention- 1. The combination with a pedal-driven shaft ofa spring-motor comprising a springboX, a sleeve rotatively relative tosaid springbox, a convolute spring connecting said spring-box andsleeve, means for retaining said spring-box against rotation in onedirection, means for retaining said sleeve against rotation. in onedirection, clutch mechanism arranged to connect the spring-box andpedaldriven shaft at times to wind the said spring upon the said sleeve,and a clutch mechanism arranged to connect the pedal-driven shaft andsleeve at a time when the pedal-driven shaft and spring-box aredisconnected, keyrods for operatin g said clutches, and an arm on one ofsaid key-rods arranged to release the meansof retaining the sleeveagainst rotation in one direction.

2. In a device of the class described, a sleeve mounted for rotation, apawl engaging said sleeve and retaining the same against rotation in onedirection, a key-rod, a slotted plate, a gear on said key-rod travelingin engagement with said slotted plate, and an arm formed on andlaterally extended from said key-rod and arranged to engage said pawland release the same from said sleeve.

PETER SELLEG.

IVitnesses:

GEO. 1I. MARTIN, CHAs. Il. SLIGHTAM.

